


For You

by greenhouse793



Category: Doctor Who, Torchwood
Genre: Angst, Behind the Scenes, Episode: s03e12 The Sound of Drums, Gen, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-02
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:00:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25673200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greenhouse793/pseuds/greenhouse793
Summary: "Are you going back to him?" Ianto's voice was quiet, his blue eyes uncertain, shining with hope, jealousy and betrayal. Jack felt his heart clench in his chest."I came back for you," he said.
Relationships: Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones
Comments: 1
Kudos: 38





	For You

Jack froze, his heart leaping into his throat as panic surged through him. He pulled weakly at his chains, unable to tear his eyes from the man who had just entered the room with the Master.

"Look who I found in the Himalayas. Wretched time of year to be wandering about in the snow," the Master grinned brightly, kicking the younger man forwards. "One of your cute little team, isn't he?"

Jack swallowed tightly around the knot in his throat as Ianto slowly lifted his head, meeting Jack's gaze. The younger man's mouth was set in a firm line, an angry cut overlapping an ugly, purpling bruise beneath one eye.

Knowing that any sign of recognition would only increase the danger for Ianto, Jack fought to keep his emotions under check. Determinedly ignoring the firm, vice-like grip around his heart, Jack met the Master's gaze and raised an eyebrow indifferently.

"What?" the Master pouted, gripping Ianto firmly by the hair and bringing the Welshman closer to Jack. "Don't tell me you don't recognize him – Ianto Jones, receptionist and archivist for Torchwood Three, Cardiff, used to be junior archivist for Torchwood One, London. Born August 19, 1983 in Cardiff. Deceased girlfriend, Lisa Hallett; current shag for one Captain Jack Harkness. Prefers to top, although isn't opposed to bottoming if the getting's good." Another grin lit across the Master's face as he pinned Ianto against his side. "And he can be quite… _inventive_ … in bed, don't you think?" He paused, a slightly dazed expression crossing his face. "Or anywhere else, really." The Master shook his head abruptly and grinned at Jack. "So, any of that sound familiar?"

"Never seen him before," Jack shrugged, fighting to keep calm. How could the Master know so much about Ianto? Unless he had… But no, Ianto would never let someone like the Master touch him.

But then, he might not have had a choice.

"If he's so good in bed, come untie me and let me have a go, won't you?" Jack leered as he looked Ianto up and down and tried to act as if he were seeing the handsome Welshman for the first time.

"Nice try, freak," the Master snorted, and Jack felt the grin melt off of his face. "I think we both know what the boy means to you. I've seen it in your memories, heard it in your late night screams when I didn't let the men kill you. Jones Ianto Jones – the attraction was there right from the start, even though you tried to bury it. And now that attraction, that small moment of weakness when you let him join the little team – it's your fault, isn't it? Whatever I do to him, it will be your fault, because you were the one to place your precious _Ianto Jones_ in the line of fire."

The Master drew a pistol, cocking it as he placed it against Ianto's head. "You can hear them now, can't you?" the Master grinned at Jack. "The drums. They pound in your head, filling you with panic, making your heart heavy, making every breath stink with the stench of them. They wrap around you, pulling you in closer and holding you in a tight embrace. And you can never escape them."

Jack's gaze narrowed in on the Master's fingers, tapping out a gentle rhythm of four against the trigger. He felt his heart stop, his palms growing sweaty as he found himself frantically wondering if the next beat would go too far – if the Master's finger would slip and the waiting bullet would become lodged in Ianto's brain. Jack swallowed tightly, glancing into Ianto's eyes and meeting only fear.

"Obviously, lover boy wouldn't be able to piece himself back together after death," the Master said with a disappointed frown, "but I can't help but wonder if he'd be as much fun as you are," Ianto flinched as the cool barrel of the gun pressed against his forehead.

"Saxon, please," Jack found himself begging, "let him go. Kill me again, kill me a thousand times, just please let him go!"

A delighted grin crossed the Master's face. "Ah, see? There we have it! There's that blind terror, that guilt and fear perking up. You can hear them now, can't you?" the finger kept tapping on the trigger. "You can hear the drums. But my name isn't Saxon."

"Master!" Jack amended desperately. "Please, Master, do what you want to me – anything you want to me – just please let him go!"

"Hmm... no," the Master hummed gleefully. "This is just too much fun. But I'll tell you what," he came closer to Jack, bringing Ianto in tow. Jack pulled futilely against his chains. "Let's make it into a little game, shall we?"

The Master shoved Ianto to his knees before Jack, motioning two of his gunmen closer. "Here's the deal, Ianto Jones," the Master grinned at the Welshman, emphasizing his name as though it were a revered title. "You're the main player." He placed the pistol on the floor between Jack and Ianto and pointed at it. "That gun has one bullet. If you point it anywhere other than where I tell you that you can, my men here will put a bullet in both of your heads. You are aiming to kill. If you fail, my men will put a bullet in both of your heads.

"You have two choices, Ianto Jones: you can kill yourself, or you can kill your lover. Either way, when the game is over I will dump you - or whatever is left of you - back on the mountainside with your little friends." The Master raised his eyebrows, a smile brightening his features. "I should think that the choice would be obvious – kill Jack and he'll have but a brief moment of pain. Kill yourself and you'll face an eternity of darkness.

"What will it be, Ianto Jones?"

Jack saw Ianto tremble as he knelt, staring at the gun. "Just do it, Ianto," he whispered fervently. "Kill me, I'll just come back! It won't even hurt!"

Again, he felt his gut clench in fear as Ianto slowly raised his head, meeting Jack's eyes with his own, tearstained blues. "I can't, Jack," Ianto said in a choked voice. "Do you know what it does to me every time I see you die, never knowing if you'll come back to me – if this will be the final time, the one death in a million that you can't survive? I can't be the cause of that."

Jack's mouth ran dry as he found it suddenly hard to breathe. "Don't, Ianto," he begged, "Just kill me. I'll come back – I promise I will!"

Ever so slowly, Ianto shook his head, reaching out to take the gun. "I couldn't, Jack," he said in a gravelly voice that betrayed his panic. "How could I ever live with myself if I did that to you?"

"But what about me?" Jack cried. "What am I supposed to do without you?"

"You'll find someone else," Ianto said confidently. "You're forever. I'm just a blip in time. You'll find someone else, you always do. As Owen said, I'm just a part-time shag, anyways."

"No," Jack shook his head quickly, feeling his eyes begin to pool with tears. "Owen's wrong. You've always been more than that. You were never just a blip in time, Ianto. Not to me."

"Touching as this is," the Master broke in, wiping at non-existent tears, "did I mention you have a time limit?"

Ianto set his jaw, raising the gun to his head.

Thrashing desperately against his chains, Jack began to sob in earnest. "No! Ianto, no! Listen to me!"

"Goodbye, Jack," Ianto whispered, his voice trembling ever so slightly. "I love you."

A deafening bang.

Warm blood splashed across Jack's face.

Ianto crumpled to the floor.

"No! Ianto!"

As the Master motioned for one of his men to clear away the body – Ianto's body – Jack sagged against his chains. It was all he could hear, all he could smell, all he could see – blinding, stifling, suffocating. The pain was everywhere. The pain was everything. And it was his own fault.

"Wasn't that fun?" the Master exclaimed cheerfully.

All that Jack could do was to pray that the Doctor could find a way to fix this – to bring back Ianto, to punish the Master and to set everything right.

x~x~x

"You left us, Jack!" Gwen snarled, shoving hard against his chest. "We knew nothing."

"Where were you?" Tosh asked, ever the voice of peace and reason. "Where did you go?"

Hesitating, Jack bit his lip. "I found my Doctor," he said with a weak smile.

"Did he fix you?" Owen asked tiredly.

"What's to fix?" Jack attempted a grin, opening his arms theatrically. "You don't mess with this level of perfection."

"Are you going back to him?" Ianto's voice was quiet, his blue eyes uncertain, shining with hope, jealousy and betrayal. Jack felt his heart clench in his chest.

"I came back for you," he said, the intensity of his gaze bringing a blush to the Welshman's cheeks. He was alive – Ianto was really, truly alive.

And Jack was damned if he would ever leave him again.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally published on and deleted from fanfiction.net in 2010 ~ thanks for reading


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